Clamping means having hydraulic power assisting devices



Oct. 24, 1967 w, SM|ERC|AK 3,348,836

CLAMPING MEANS HAVING HYDRAULIC POWER ASSISTING DEVICES rl/,w A? 7 TOR/VE Y Oct. 24, 1967 w. sMlERclAK 3,348,836

CLAMPING MEANS HAVING HYDRAULIC POWER ASSISTING DEVICES Filed D60. 2l, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,348,836 CLAMPING MEANS HAVING HYDRAULIC POWER ASSISTING DEVICES Walter Smierciak, Elgin, Ill., assigner to Wilton Corporation, Schiller Parli, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 419,766 9 Claims. (Cl. 269-25) This invention is directed to vises and clamping devices in general which have novel means for boosting and for transmitting With increased force manual power applied to the spindles or screws thereof to move and hold a movable jaw or clamping member against various objects and work pieces, and which greatly reduces the amount of manual force which has to be applied to the spindles or screws of such devices in order to clamp and hold objects with greatly increased force and pressure.

It is known that in the use of vises and clamps of relatively larger sizes which are used for industrial7 manufacturing and other heavy duty work, it is necessary to apply a substantially great amount of manual work and pressure to tighten the screws and spindles sufficiently to securely hold various work objects, and this necessitates a substantial amount of manual effort and time. Also in many instances of gripping and holding larger objects and pieces, the degree and extent of screw-actuated clamping and vise action is not sufficient to rmly grip and hold the objects and work pieces to maintain the same in desired grip position during the performance of various work steps. This problem exists because the average workman will normally apply only a given amount of pressure to handles and pins of vises to tighten the screws and jaws thereof, which often is nsuicient to meet the existing requirements.

It is an important object of my invention to provide vises and clamping devices which include a movably mounted jaw cooperating with a stationary jaw and with novel mechanism and hydraulic means whereby manual rotation of a shaft and handle will selectively press a pisyton to press a hydraulic liquid to transmit the applied pressure with greatly increased force to a movable slidable thrust member which is mounted to press a movable jaw toward and into work engaging positions.

Other and further objects of my invention are to provide vises and clamping devices having the features recited in the preceding paragraph and in which the manually applied pressure will be hydraulically transmitted and increased to press against a movable element of substantially increased size, which has means for moving a slidable element or housing against a movable jaw or a clampingielement, and which has spring means for retracting said housing or element to initial positions and which has a ratchet mechanism mounted between a manually rotatable shaft or driver and an inner sleeve or cylindrical housing.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a novel means and mechanism for hydraulically transmitting and multiplying the movement of manually applied rotation of a shaft or screw through a piston and through a hydraulic medium to a slidably mounted member or housing, which latter is in turn adapted to effect a working movement of a jaw or clamping unit for clamping, or for holding objects or to perform other work steps.

A On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional View on a longitudinal vertical plane of my novel clamping device or vise, and illustrating most of the interior portions thereof and having certain parts broken away. FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on a vertical plane taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l. FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a vise with a substantial portion of the body thereof broken away and showing only the tail section and showing the exterior view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, reference numeral 10 illustrates a portion of the elongated passaged body which carries an upwardly extending stationary jaw 11 which may be formed integrally therewith. Numeral 12 designates generally a typical base having apertured ears 13, one of said ears being illustrated, said ears providing means for bolting the vise and base to a suitable support, such as a work bench.

The body portion .10 has a longitudinal passage 14 therethrough, through which a portion of the spindle or screw 15 ext-ends. The screw 15 extends through the rear portion of the body 10 and into and through a passage in a metal end cap or tail cap 17 which is recessed, as indicated. A nut 16 is threaded on the rear threaded end of the spindle 15 and is mounted in the recessed end cap 17.

Slidably mounted within the enlarged passage 20 of the body 10 is the elongated metal sleeve or shank portion 18 With which the movable jaw 19 is preferably formed integrally. The middle portion of the housing 23 has an enlarged annular retainer groove 23a` therein, which is clearly shown in FIG. 1. Said groove 23a receives the end portion of the screw 63 `to prevent a sliding movement of the portion of the vise having a movable jaw.

Referring to FIG. 1, numeral 23 designates an elon` gated substantially cylindrical metal housing or casing which has inwardly extending integral flange 24 which delines a round passage therein. The metal ange 24 has an annular groove or recess 25 therein in which is mounted a suitable annular hydraulic seal 26. Said flange 24 is mounted for slidable engagement on the enlarged annular intermediate portion 27 of the piston 32, said enlarged intermediate portion 27 being formed integral with piston or cylindrical member 32, as illustrated in FIG. 1. An elongated passage or `chamber 62 is formed in said piston, as illustrated. The integral flange 24 of the end portion of said housing 23 has an enlarged inner annular face 29 normally in a vertical plane and surrounding the enlarged portion 27 of the screw and partially defining enlarged chamber 28.

Within the chamber of said cylindrical housing 23 is Slidably mounted an elongated longitudinally passaged slidable cylindrical member which may be composed of either one part -or of two connected parts. Said member is preferably of two preformed parts to provide for necessary machining operations. In my preferred form, said slidable member includes a separate cylindrical metal sleeve 30 which is suitably connected at one end thereof by threading engagement of threads 31 with one end portion of a metal passaged cylinder or piston 32 which has an annular groove 33 formed therein in which a suitable O or sealing ring 34 is mounted. Said cylinder or piston 32 has formed in its end portion a plurality of outwardly extending ports 35, as indicated in FIG. l, through which 3 a hydraulic uid is selectively forced, as hereinafter described.

Said cylinder or piston 32 also has an inwardly opening annular recess or groove 22a therein, in which is suitably mounted la sealing O ring 36 which forms a seal with the enlarged slidable portion of a metal cylindrical probe or plunger 37. Probe or plunger 37 is of cylindrical form and has an elongated reduced integral central portion 37a thereon, as indicated in FIG. l. An expandable metal spring 39 is mounted in the enlarged recess of the enlarged neck portion 27 and about said reduced end 37a of said plunger 37, as shown. A set screw 40 is threadingly secured in a threaded passage of the sleeve 30 to lock the latter in secured position connected to the cylinder 32. 38 is a beveled edge of plunger 37.

Formed on the inner portion of the metal sleeve 30 are a plurality of right handrelatively thick s-crew threads 41, as illustrated. Numeral 42 designates a metal stub shaft or driver which is rotatablyk mounted and which has on its inner portion right hand screw threads 43 which enter and engage with the threads 41 of sleeve 30. The innerend of the driver 42 normally engages, when actuated, and pushes the end portion of plunger or probe 37, as shown.

The intermediate portion of the shaft or driver 42 has formed therein a diametrically extending passage 44, as shown in FIGS. l and 2and insaid passage are slidably mounted two metal-plugs or pawls 45 with a metal expansion spring 50 mounted therebetween to normally press said plugs 45 outwardly. Each `of said plugs 45 have an externally projecting rounded stud thereon which engages a ratchet mechanism as hereinafter described.

The outer end portion of the cylindrical member or sleeve 30 has a pair of preferably integral arcuate beveled anges 46 and 47 formed thereon which are on opposite sides of the passage in the outer end portion of the sleeve 30, as indicated in FIG. 2. One end portion of each of said flanges have bevelled portions 48, as shown in FIG. 2 which, when the driver :is rotated in clockwise direction, will be engaged by the projected studs of the plugs 45 as the plugs or pawls 45 rst engage the beveled shoulders 48, the said pawls 45 will press the beveled shoulders to transmit rotation to the sleeve 31,` and such rotation will continue until the work piece isclamped between the jaws. When the work piece produces a predetermined resistance of the rounded ends ofthe pawls 45 will slide inward over said beveled faces to thereby retract said pawls against the action of the spring 50. Thereupon, the continued forward manual rotation of the driver 42 will cause its inner threads 43 to thread into threads 41` of the sleeve to advance the driver 42 and its threadbearing portion, during which time the ends of the pawls will slide, within the inner face of the sleeve 30. During such advancev of the driver, the plunger 37 is moved inward as described. The opposite ends of each of said arcuate anges 46 and 47 have their endfaces formed with relatively sharp angles `or corners 49, as shown in FIG. 2, so that when said driver 42 is manually rotated in counterclockwise direction (see FIG. 2) the studs of plugs 45 will tirst rotate within the sleeve 30 until said pawls have reached the slots adjacent shoulder 49 Whereupon said pawls will be moved outward by said spring 50 to original position. When the driver is rotated in counter clockwise retracting direction, the pawls 45 will engage the angular shoulders 49 to transmitsuch reverse rotation to the sleeve 30 and to the elongated cylindrical member of which it is a part and to said screw and to said casing.

The stub shaft or driver 42 has a diametrically passaged head 51, in the passage of which is suitably mounted a slidable handle or pin 52, the opposite ends of said pin 52 preferably having enlarged heads 52 formed thereon, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to the left hand `portion of FIG. 1, the screw or spindle has a dia-metilo passage thQ-IGD ill Which S 4 mounted a metal pin 55 and a metal retainer ring or collar 56.

A metal expansion spring 57 is .mounted about the portion 27 prior to the mounting and secnrance of collar 56 and pin 55. One end of said spring bears against the end face of the flange 24 of the housing 23 to normally push said housing 23 so as to maintain the hydraulic tluid under some pressure to prevent formation of air, pockets therein and to prevent any undesirable movement of cylinder 32 and sleeve 30.

The end portion of the vhousing 23 has a passage 60 formed therein extending from its end face to connect with the interior chamber within said housing. A suitable plug 61 is removably and threadingly mounted in said passage, said passage providing a means for introducing a l hydraulic liquid into the vchamber within said housing 23 and into the chamber surrounding the reduced portion 37a of the probe or plunger 37, such liquid entering the said chamber through the ports 35.

As illustrated in FIG. v3, the lower portion of the hub 19a of the movable jaw 19 has a threaded passage formed therein. A metal set screw 63 is threaded in said passage and a lock nut 64 is threaded on the outer part of said nipple as illustrated to secure said nipple in permanent position. Said screw 63 provides a convenient means of connecting the housing 23 to cylindrical and recessed hub portion 19a of the movable jaw 19, so that during retractionand rotative movement both said jaw 19 and said thrust casing will be moved together longitudinallyn It is to be understood that thrust housing 23 can rotate as described as the end of screw 63 permits rotation of the casing even though said screw constantly engages said groove 22a.

Upon clockwise rotationof the driver 42, due to the engagement of threads 43 and threads 41, said driver is moved inward to cause its inner end to pushplunger or probe 37 inward against the hydraulic uid. This inward movement forces portions of the hydraulic uid, which has been put into the chamber 62 and into chamber 28 to be forced through radially extending ports 35 intochamber 28 to press against the enlarged face 29, whose area is much larger than the inner area of the plunger 37. Thereby the force applied against .the larger face 29 is multiplied and greater than the force against the inner face of plunger 37 in proportion to the ratio of area 29 is to the area of the pressing face of plunger 37.

Such increased force presses housing 23 inward alongv with the movable jaw, and against work pieces and simultaneously compresses spring 39. During the period of such increased pressure against the movable jaw, the clamped work piece will be clamped and held with greatly increased pressure over that which could be attained by use of a threaded screw. The forward area of plunger 37 which contacts the hydraulic liquid has a speciie area,- and the inner face 29 of casing 23 is of an area much greater than the area of said plunger. Accordingly, the

increased pressure exerted on face 29 is increased or mull tiplied in a ratio proportionate to the greater area of the face 29 which is pushed by the liquid. For example, where the area of the plunger is 2 square inches and the area of face 29 is 4 square inches, the pressure exerted on the movable jaw is doubled. Where the ratio of face 29 is 4 to 1, the pressure attained against the clamped work is approximately 6,000 lbs., or 3,000 p.s.i.

As the driver 42 comes to a dead stop, due t0 the contact of the inner end of the driver with the inner end face (at the right of FIG. 1) of cylinder 32, the pressure of ing sleeve or member within the vise body) to -push the movable jaw into work-gripping and holding position. Such continued manually actuated movement of the driver to rotate the screw will not normally occur unless the hydraulic uid is exhausted.

When work -pieces in locked position are to be released from a vise or clamp, a user will rotate the driver 42 counter-clockwise to retract it, until the inwardly depressed plugs or pawls 45 reach the positions of the slots between the ends of the anges 46 and 47, whereupon said plugs or pawls are pushed outward by spring 50 so that the studs on pawls or plugs 4S will engage the shoulders 49 of flanges 46 and 47. Upon such engagement the said reverse rotative manual Imovement will rotate casing 23 and spindle or screw 15 and sleeve 30 in counter-clockwise direction to rotate the screw 1S to retract the driver 4Z to original position. At this point the threads 43 have been backed up to ori-ginal position.

My novel vises and clamping means having power assisting means and devices described which have the respective cooperating structural parts, provide novel constructions and provide novel means for not only transmitting, but also increasing the manually applied power to press movable jaws and clamping units into tight engagement with various work pieces. The advantages attained thereby not only substantially reduce the manual work necessary, but also result in the work pieces and articles being subjected to greatly increased gripping and holding action.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specilic terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter, and it is contemplated that various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein specifically described without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention or any features thereof, and nothing herein shall be construed as limitations upon the invention, its concept or structural embodiment as to the whole or any part thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a manually operable clamping device having a body and a movable jaw and a rotatably mounted spindle;

means for increasing the transmitted pressure to a movable jaw comprising an inner cylindrical passaged thrust casing;

an inner cylindrical piston slidably mounted within said thrust casing and having ports therein;

an inner sleeve on said piston;

a plunger slidably mounted in said inner piston;

means for introducing hydraulic liquid in said cylindrical casing and between it and a portion of said plunger;

spring means for retracting said plunger to starting position;

a driving member threadingly and rotatably mounted in said inner sleeve;

and a handle on the outer portion of said driving member;

the manual rotation of said driving member beyond -a pre-determined pressure point being adapted to press said plunger inwardly to press hydraulic fluid into an enlarged chamber within said casing to thereby substantially increase the pressure against an enlarged inner face of said thrust casing, said thrust casing being adapted to press said movable jaw of said clamping device to closing position;

and a spring mounted about an outer portion of said spindle and adapted to maintain under pressure the hydraulic uid between said piston and the inner face of said casing.

2. A device `as recited in claim 1, and having a retractable and spring pressed means between said driving member and said cylindrical sleeve adapted to transmit rotative movement to said cylindrical sleeve to said piston and screw and to thereby permit retraction of said piston and said screw.

3. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said spindle has a longitudinal recess opening on its end portion and in which said spring means is mounted;

and having sealing rings mounted between said inner piston and said thrust housing and between said plunger and said piston.

4. In a vise,

a body having a stationary jaw, a recessed mobile jaw and a spindle connected to said movable jaw; slidable movable thrust casing extending into the recess of said movable jaw;

a cylindrical piston member slidably mounted in said thrust casing and having a sleeve thereon, said piston member having a fluid chamber;

a plunger movable in said cyindrical piston member;

said thrust member having an inner pressure face of greater area than said plunger;

said cylindrical piston member having passages therein and a chamber for hydraulic fluid;

a driver rotatably and threadingly mounted in said sleeve portion of said cylindrical piston member;

spring pressed pawls mounted on said driver adapted to releasably connect said driver and said sleeve;

the inward movement of said driver being adapted to move said spindle forwardly yand to move said plunger inwardly to transmit increased power through a hydraulic liquid to said thrust casing to thereby move said movable jaw with application of less manual force to said driver;

a spring for returning said plunger to retracted position;

and a second spring mounted on said spindle and normally pressing against a portion of said thrust casing to maintain the hydraulic in said uid chamber under pressure.

5. A device as recited in claim 4 and having external threads on said driving member and cooperating inner threads on said inner cylinder whereby rotation in one direction of said driving member will push said plunger inwardly.

6. In a vise,

a body having a stationary jaw, a movable jaw and a spindle connecting said jaw;

a movable thrust casing;

an inner sleeve slidable in said thrust member;

a rotatable driver threadingly mounted in said sleeve;

a cylindrical member slidably mounted in said thrust casing;

a piston movable in said cylindrical member;

said thrust casing having an inner pressure face of greater area than said piston;

said cylindrical member having passages therein and a chamber for hydraulic Huid;

the inward movement of said driver being adapted to move said piston inwardly to transmit increased power through a hydraulic liquid to said thrust member to thereby move said movable jaw with application of less force to said driver;

a spring for returning said piston to retracted position;

and a second spring adjacent said thrust casing for pressing said thrust casing against said hydraulic iluid.

7. A vise as recited in claim 6 and having a releasable mechanism having spring pressed pawls between said o driver and said sleeve whereby clockwise rotation of said driver will move said piston inwardly to cause Huid actuated forward movement of said thrust casing and counterclockwise rotation will retract said driver to permit said first mentioned spring to retract said piston and permit said thrust casing member to retracted position.

9. A device substantially as recited in claim 4, andy having threads on a portion of said driver and cooperating threads on a portion of said sleeve whereby rotation of said driver will move the said spindle longitudinally;

8 er yand said sleeve adaptedto retract to inoperative position when said spindle and movable. jaw have been advanced forwardly to impinging engagement of a work piece.

i t References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,803,157 8/1957 Seitter 269%-29 and releasably spring pressed means between said driv- 10 RICHARD H ,EANES JR. prima@ Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A MANUALLY OPERABLE CLAMPING DEVICE HAVING A BODY AND A MOVABLE JAW AND A ROTATABLY MOUNTED SPINDLE; MEANS FOR INCREASING THE TRANSMITTED PRESSURE TO A MOVABLE JAW COMPRISING AN INNER CYLINDRICAL PASSAGED THRUST CASING; AN INNER CYLINDRICAL PISTON SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID THRUST CASING AND HAVING PORTS THEREIN; AN INNER SLEEVE ON SAID PISTION; A PLUNGER SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID INNER PISTON; MEANS FOR INTRODUCING HYDRAULIC LIQUID IN SAID CYLINDRICAL CASING AND BETWEEN IT AND A PORTION OF SAID PLUNGER; SPRING MEANS FOR RETRACTING SAID PLUNGER TO STARTING POSITION; A DRIVING MEMBER THREADINGLY AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID INNER SLEEVE; AND A HANDLE ON THE OUTER PORTION OF SAID DRIVING MEMBER; THE MANUAL ROTATION OF SAID DRIVING MEMBER BEYOND A PRE-DETERMINED PRESSURE POINT BEING ADAPTED TO PRESS SAID PLUNGER INWARDLY TO PRESS HYDRAULIC FLUID INTO AN ENLARGED CHAMBER WITH SAID CASING TO THEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE PRESSURE AGAINST AN ENLARGED INNER FACE OF SAID THRUST CASING, SAID THRUST CASING BEING ADAPTED TO PRESS SAID MOVABLE JAW OF SAID CLAMPING DEVICE TO CLOSING POSITION; AND A SPRING MOUNTED ABOUT AN OUTER PORTION OF SAID SPINDLE AND ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN UNDER PRESSURE THE HYDRAULIC FLUID BETWEEN SAID PISTON AND THE INNER FACE OF THE CASING. 